Monthly Archives: May 2010

photo shoot sneak peek

Happy Memorial Day! We hope everyone is enjoying their day off and grilling and laying out by the pool. At least that’s what we’d be doing, but we both have to work. Super lame. So anyways, this past weekend we both spent the laziest couple of days together. Watching HIMYM, cooking, baking, eating, sleeping, shopping. It was perfect. We usually have a crazy agenda, so it’s nice when we finally just get to sit back and relax together. Sunday though, we shot Cat’s apartment [finally]. So here is a little teaser to get you excited about what’s to come. We’re both pretty happy about how everything has turned out. :)

So now its time to edit and pick our favorites for the big reveal next week. Stay tuned! :D

Until next time!!

DC

10 things: catharine stevens can’t live without

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We’re continuing with our new series featuring some of the creative people that we know. Every Tuesday we will introduce them as they share with us the ten things they can’t live without. Today we are introducing the girl behind the blog, Ms. Catharine Stevens.

Location: San Antonio, TX

[one] hot yoga

I was recently introduced to yoga, and not just any yoga, HOT yoga! The room is about a bazillion degrees, but honestly the hotter the better. Your muscles loosen up so much faster and its a hardcore detox of all the crap you breathe in all day. On top of all that, it’s seriously the best form of stress release I’ve ever come across. And as someone who has probably been constantly stressed since freshman year of college, this speaks volumes! I’m sure there will be some upcoming yoga blog posts because I really am obsessed :)

[two] design blogs

I really don’t know what I would do without design blogs, for inspiration. My whole life I’ve been obsessed with design in any sense of the word and I used to flip through countless magazines tearing out mood shots, and color palettes that inspired me. I would stick them all in blank sketchbooks which I have volumes of.. But NOW I can digitally archive anything I come across and it’s all super organized thanks to NetNewsWire, Evernote, and this crazy desktop folder sitch I have going on [that has made a certain OCD Apple boyfriend cringe] No but really. Give me my RSS reader and some interweb and I’m content for hours.

[three] my friends / family

As an only child my family is everything to me. That said, I also consider my friends to be my family. I love talking to any of them for hours about life, love, design, music, culture, and things of that sort. My extended family is spread all over the country, so my time with them is cherished. Some of my fondest memories are sitting on the beach of Lake Michigan with my family all through the night, watching fireflies and smelling the warm summer air. I try to take everyone I love to this place, or at least tell them all about it :)

[four] sunroofs

There really isn’t anything more perfect than the music up and the sunroof down. Living in Texas you’d think there were a finite number of days in which this is possible. Nay. It’s always down at night, and as long as it’s not raining or over 100F during the day its down. I even use it in the winter at night with the heat on my feet. Judge all you want, I love me some fresh air and sun shining on my shoulders.

[five] cardigans / scarves

As a person with about 5 degrees of comfort, I get cold really easily. Therefore cardigans are a must. Sometimes I really just wear them to add layers or color to an outfit, knowing I’ll be cold at some point in the day. However, in the summer I loath them and instead opt for the scarf. Heck I wear scarves year round, ask anyone! They really are the best accessory. If you see me in August with one on, think twice before you judge. It’s linen, and therefore keeping me cool. nah-NAH!

[six] helvetica

Oh little helvy. What did I do so long before I knew about you? Helvetica is clean, classic, simple, and EVERYWHERE. If you don’t believe me watch the indy flick. It isn’t just the typeface that gets me all kinds of giddy, its a whole lot more, which we will get into at a later time I’m sure. Let’s just say.. Helvetica changed my life. /end sappy moment

[seven] kitchenaid mixer

I’ve always been better at baking than cooking, so after receiving a yellow KitchenAid mixer this past Christmas, my baking world turned upside down. I use it almost every night, which is super ridiculous, but I just love it so much! I’ve even started using it to cook.. what up! [insert barney stinson voice] I’ve been experimenting with lots of new recipes lately, which I’m sure will end up on the blog soon :)

[eight] really good food

I love food. A LOT. I’ve always loved really great Italian food, and finding sketchy little hole-in-the-wall restaurants. This goes for Mexican food too, although I never truly knew the meaning until I lived in SA. I mean we’re just that much closer to Mexico, so you KNOW it’s legit. However, all this grease and awesomeness tends to lead to a surplus of calories *see item one: yoga

[nine] apple + design software

I really have no idea how I was able to obtain a degree in Interior Design without an Apple computer, but oddly enough I did. I remember spending countless hours rendering on my stupid Dell laptop haha had I only known. Now my life is so much different. Less time waiting for things to load, and more time actually designing. Apple is incredible. Everything is so much easier. It’s right where you left it. It doesn’t just crap out on you 5min before your presentation [cue Bill Gates’ evil laugh]. What goes perfectly with Apple? The Adobe Suite. It’s seamless, and makes my life SO much easier. So what AutoCAD is still on a PC? There’s boot camp, parallels, fusion.. you’ll be fine. Oh! and the iPhone.. I don’t know how I ever got anywhere or anything done without it, which is a little sad.. but more awesome.

[ten] bobby pins

I have ridiculous hair with a mind of its own. What controls this? Bobby pins. No more bangs in my face. No more runaway curls. Oh, and it’s impossible to master the side pony without them, which is critical. I’m a firm believer that side ponies make everyone cuter.

Stay tuned for text Tuesday when we feature our dear friend and Graphic Designer, Kristopher Haughton.

Until next time!

DC

a farewell to mustache may

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As some of you know. It is (and has always been) Mustache May.. Go ahead. Look it up. So since our dear sweet May is coming to an end [so sad for Cat considering its her birth month] we decided to dedicate this post to the glory of all mustaches and beards alike. Enjoy.

We like play a people watching game where we rate people’s beards that we see. It’s pretty awesome. Then we came across The Trustworthyness of Beards, and that just changed up the whole game, especially since Derek has been known to have some pretty threatening beards in his day. For more mustache madness check out beard head and I made you a beard, where most of these images were stolen from :) She also has anEtsy shop where you can buy her faux beards too!

Happy Weekend!!

DC

your modern eats: the best baked mac & cheese

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Derek and I seriously love us some good mac & cheese. We even have “Mac & Beer Mondays”, we love it so much. So we’re always trying to reinvent ways to enhance this favorite dish of ours. I came across this recipe a while back, and was intrigued by the curious combination of spices required. Derek and his dad happened to be in town that night so I tested it out on them. Needless to say it was a big hit! So without further adieu, the recipe that is sure to make your taste buds tingle.

You will need:

1 3/4 cups gobbetti pasta (seriously it has to be this kind. It holds the cheese perfectly! There are many different names for it but just look for the shape pictured above. HEB has it for .80)

2 1/2 cups extra sharp cheddar cheese (cubed)

2 tbsp + 1 tsp all purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp dry mustard

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1/4 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

2/3 cup sour cream

2 eggs that are lightly beaten

1 1/2 cups half and half

1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream

1 tsp worcestershire sauce

2 1/2 cups grated extra sharp cheddar cheese

Step 1:

Preheat the oven to 350 F

Step 2:

Take the flour, salt, and spices in a large mixing bowl. Stir them together so that everything is evenly mixed together.

Step 3:

Add the sour cream, and eggs. With a wire whisk mix all ingredients together until mixture is evenly incorporated.

Step 4:

To the mixture, Whisk in the half and half, heavy cream, and Worcestershire until it is thoroughly blended together. (Set the mixture aside)

Step 5:

Boil the pasta in salted water until tender. Remove and drain. Place the drained pasta into the baking dish of your choice. Try a cast iron pan if you have one, but you can use a 9×13×2 baking dish or whatever else you like. (The larger the surface area the cheesier it will be!) Mix in the cubed cheddar cheese.

Step 6:

Pour the mixture over the pasta and cheese and then stir everything together. Sprinkle the shredded cheddar cheese on top and then place into the oven.

Step 7:

Put in the oven for 30-35 minutes and then let cool for 10 minutes. The cooling is necessary to allow the mac and cheese to set up.

See what I mean? Cyan pepper, worcestershire sauce, and nutmeg? It’s mac & cheese with a little kick! I mean don’t get me wrong, we’ll still reach for the blue box for some quick mac deliciousness, but after having this concoction it just isn’t really the same. Let me know if you try it and what you think! Do you have any stellar mac & cheese recipes you swear by? We’d love to try them!

Bon appetit!

cfs

miniature luxury

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Even if you don’t love furniture with the [almost disgusting] passion that we do, you can still appreciate the time and effort that went into creating these miniature modern rooms. Fully equipped with mini pieces from our dear friends Eames, LeCorbusier, Mies, and the rest of the gang! I mean seriously? This is pretty legit. Christine Ferrara has a passion for not only beautiful modern staples, but also all things miniature. She uses these dollhouses as a way to be able to decorate her dream home [affordably] without the fear of her children pouring koolaid on her cowhide LeCorbusier lounge or sticking gum under her Saarinen dining table. I mean, can you imagine? To see more examples of her creativity, check out her blog Call of the Small where she shares the evolution of her many mini dream homes with the masses! (woo! say that 5 times fast!)

Did you notice the apple product placement? eh? eh? Or the mini recycling bin? This chick obviously has a lot of time on her hands, but we’re glad she does because her talent is too unique not to share with our dear friends and fellow stalkers. You should know though that although she’s just buying a mini Eames lounge, it’s still $670 mmk? Yeah so soak it up. This house probably cost more than any of ours.

Until next time!